Corn, soy crops bake under late-summer heat wave

Mother Nature isn't done with the Corn Belt yet, and as the dry heat wave persists across the nation’s midsection, corn and soybean conditions continue to deteriorate.

According to the USDA’s latest “Crop Progress” report, 17 percent of corn in the nation’s top 18 corn-producing states are in poor or worse condition, compared to 16 percent reported last week.

Conditions declined or were unchanged in 10 states.

Colorado and Kansas reported the highest percentages of struggling corn, with 33 percent and 32 percent of corn in poor or very poor condition, respectively. Other states with high percentages of corn in these conditions include Iowa (28 percent), Missouri (26 percent), North Dakota (20 percent) and Wisconsin.

The USDA’s “Ag in Drought” report shows that more than half of the nation’s corn is growing in drought.

Corn maturity is also significantly behind, with 64 percent of corn dented. This is 11 percentage points lower than the five-year average and 28 percentage points behind last year’s pace. The report also showed 9 percent of corn mature, compared to 4 percent last week and the five-year average of 28 percent.

Soybeans are closer to their five-year average, with the USDA reporting 11 percent dropping leaves. This is 8 percentage points behind the five-year average. Conditions are like that of corn and are steadily declining. Currently, 16 percent of soybeans are in poor to very poor condition, compared to 15 percent reported last week.